Internal-combustion engine.



i. GOOD. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, I9I4.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

' 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

I. GOOD. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

- APPLICATION FILED APR-28.1914. 1 177 698. Patenseei A 4, i916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' JOHN G001), 0F BRGOKLYN, YORK.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented AprA, 1916.

Application filed April 28, 1914. Serial No. 834,902.

To all whom it may concern:

\ Be it known that I, JOHN G001), a citizenv of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented the following described Improvements in Internal-CombustionEngines.

The improvement relates to an organiza tion of rotary valve mechanism ininternal.

combustion engines adapting. such valves to resist high combustiontemperatures and explosion pressures without impairment of function, andto perform long-continued efiicient service without special or any careon the part of the user.

Notwithstanding their superior simplicity and general convenience ofstructure and. tom :view of the valve proper of, Fig. 1, showmg thevalve shaft in section. Fig. 3,

operation rotary valves have not heretofore been adapted to combustionengines with the same degree of permanent eliicienc'y as possessed bythe ordinary puppet valvein the same relation. The reason for suchshortcoming I have ascertained to liei n the difiiculty of maintainingthe necessary. character of oil film between the meeting faces of therotary member and its seat,

particularly after the valve has become" worn in service, and also theinabilityito avoid the disturbance that results from impairment of thefilm, in the processof heatdissipation from thevalve member to thesurrounding heat-abstracting medium, or water-jacket. In prior rotaryvalves, disk and conical, the oil film tends to accumulate, near thelargest" peripheral part and wear also takes place the most at that partbecause of the higheusurface speed, while excessive friction and scoringis apt to occur at the part near the center, this being accompanied bylocal thermal expansions in that region due to such friction as well asto local exposure tofiame, all of which combine to produce acceleratingleakage and to curtail thQIlSBfHlytllfflOf the valve.

The object of my invention is to preserve the necessary film ofoilbetween the meeting surfaces of valve member and seat under allconditions of use and wear, and thereby provide the uniform. cooling ofthe said parts which 'is essential to permanent efiiciencv in acombustion engine. The means I have invented to this end provide arotary or oscillatory valve structure of exceptionally long life, whichequals the elliciencv of the well known puppet but avoids itsdisadvantage," that it must be periodically ground to its seat, andwhich is conveniently and noiselessly operated and which, furthermore,need be no larger, port for port, than the puppet valve, besidespossessing other advantages as. respects its organization in the enginestructure, as will later appear. 1

; The principle of the invention and thebest mode in which I havecontemplated using-the same, will he explained in the following detaileddescription in connection with the illustrative drawings, wherein Figure1 is a partial-end elevation. of a combustion engine, with parts insection through; the" center of a valve mechanism emb'odyin'g thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a hotis ahorizontal section on line III-J11 of Fig.i, with the valve removed to expose the valve seat. Fig. i is an axialsection through the valve structure; and Fig. 5 is aisection-similar toFig. 3, with the valve in p ace.

" In accomplishing the ob]ects above set forth, I provide the enginewith a valve is herein shown as formed in'the lower part of a lateralextension from the combustion chamber of the engine. member for thisseat is marked 2 and is rotated by an upright valve-shaft 3, driven by.

which the valve spindle 3 projects and by which it may be supported.According to the number of port openings in the valve, the said shaftmay be geared to drive the ro- Mtary valve member one ,or lessrevolutions for each four strokes of the piston '7, the

j's'e'at 1, which may be variously disposed but The rotary valve.

engine being presumed to be 4-cycleu The meeting or seating surfaces ofthe valve 2 upon its seat- 1. are curved both in their horizontal andvertical sections and both surfaces are alike. In the horizontal sectioning portion of the valve member, when re-' moved, resembles the surfaceof a truncated cone which has beenturned down so as to have adiminishing taper from its large to its small end. The correspondingsurface of the valve seat has the same shape and is formed upon a Wallof the Water-jacket structure having the same compound curvature andwhich is relatively thin in its crosssectional dimension and of the samedegree of thinness throughout.

The uniform thinness of the valve-seat wall, is a matter of importanceto the object of my invention, since thereby the heat from the valvemember has the shortest possible path of escape to the water-jacket. Thedescribed curvature of the said wall gives it considerable strength andrigidity, after the manner of an arch, and therefore perinits it to bemade thinner than would otherwise be possible; The same curvature andthinness likewise provides space in the water-jacket for a relativelylarge volume of water 8 all around the valve and for proper circulationthereof, without unduly enlarging the engine casting. The valve member 2is formed hollow or shell-like, and its wall is of uniformcross-sectional dimension and no thicker than the seat wall with whichit is in contact (through the oil film) and to which it is generallyparallel. The interior of the valve member is open to the interior ofthe combustion chamber and the gaseous medium flowing to or from thechamber passes axially through the-large end of the valve and alsooutwardly through the port opening 9 cut in the curved wall thereof. Thelongitudinal boundaries of this opening, or openings if there are morethan one, lie in planes which are radial the axis of the valve. Thecorresponding, fixed port opening 10 pierces the water-jacketedvalve-seat Wall at an upward angle with reference to the axis of thevalve, or gener ally perpendicular to the curved side of the valve seat,and in' this manner the pipe or manifold connection 11 becomes disposedat a downward inclination from the side of the combustion chamber andthe combustible or combustion gases may thus enter or leave the enginein a fairly straight path. The port opening 10 is likewise formedbetween planes which are radial or intersect the axis of the valve, andit may be noted at this point that the area of each opening may belarger than the area of lift opening of an ordinary puppet valve of thesame overall diameter.

The preferred curvature of the seating surface conforms to thegeometrical curve known as the'equitangenital tractric. and the saidseating surface is a surface of generation of a tractrix curve revolvedabout its axis. Such a surface, as above stated. has

maximum curvature near the top or large as the meeting or bearingsurface between two axially. thrusting bodies, such as parts 1 and '2,has heretofore been determined to give substantially equal wear undercertain conditions of contact and contacting materials, so that suchbodies will tend to wear fairly true to their original 'tractrixcurvature. I have ascertained that the particular relationship ofpressures to velocities in different zones of surfaces so contacting,namely, the fact that, in such contacting surfaces, the surface velocityis slow where the pressure is high, and high where the pressure is low,can be utilized to establish substantially equal distribution-"of theoil between such surfaces and in such manner as to form a continuousfilm throughout, in spite of the interruption to such surfacesrepresented by the port openings, while the tendency of the surfaces towear true is utilized to preserve the said relationship. The uniformthinness of the walls of the valve-member and the valve-seat, and theconsequent proximity of the highly heated side of the valve member tothe waterjacket, as above explained, permit the said seat not onlyavoids the local expansions caused by hot spots in; other valves, buttends to maintain the valve as a whole at a constant temperature and ina fixed relation to that of the water-jacket, that is to say, thedissipation of heat is so prompt and rapid that the valve temperaturevaries only within relatively narrow limits and in any case rises andfalls in practically exact accordance with the rest of the enginecasting, being thus particularly suited for machines operating underhigh temperatures and pressures, as for example the Diesel engine. Itshould be stated also that the valve member and its seat are both madeof cast iron, or at least of the same kind of material, -so that suchexpansion as does take place is subthe said parts had no openingsthepressure value would remain unchanged under pro gressing wear, otherconditions being favorable, but the removal of a part of the rub,

hing surface of one zone throws agreater friction on the remainder andthereby in- 115 stantially equal'in each part and is thus ira-seecreases the rate of wear in that zone. This 1n time may seriously impairthe thermal.

contact between the valve and seat and produce leakage. Moreover, whenthe valve contains but a single port, asin the case taken forillustration, the wear occurs more on one side than the other, givingthe valve a tendency to wear askew toits axis, Both of which tendenciesare apt to develop leakage and imperfect operation unless compen sated.I have provided such compensation in simple form as follows:Diametrically opposite to the-port9 I provide a dummy port or relievedarea 11 (see Fig. 2}. andin the valve seat directly opposite the portopening 10, a similarly relieved area 12, both of these being equal insize and in shape and general relationship to the area of the portopenings 9 and 10, and in the same zone or relationship to the curvatureof the rubbing surfaces as a whole. Where the valve is double ported,one or both of these dummy ports could be actual ports if desired, ac-'cording to the timing. Their purpose in either case is to balance thewear on opposite sides of valveand seat to prevent the valve fromwearing askew to its axis,

Above the zone line a (Fig. 2) of the top boundary of the port opening 9(or 11) I provide two diametrically opposite relieved spaces 1dextending from such line about half-way to the top of the valve, andalso two similar relieved spaces 13 out of radial line with the spaces14 extending from the level of the top boundaries of the latter to thetop of the valve, these spaces 13 being also diametrically opposite eachother. Below the zone line b of the bottom of the port opening, Iprovide two diametrically disposed recesses 24 extending from such zoneline about half way to the lower end of the seat, and two similarrecesses 25 out of radial line with 24 and extending the rest of thewav, to the end of the seat. In the valve seat (Fig. 3) I providesimilar opposite recessesl5 abovethe zone line of the opening 10 andcorresponding in area to the aggregate areas of relieved spaces 13 and14 on the valve member, and below the port opening two further recesses16, aggregating the areas of the recesses 24: and 25 in the valvemember. The vertical boundaries of each of these relieved spaces,preferably lie in planes which are radial to the axis of the valve andthe angle subtended between such planes by each recess is equal to thatsubtended by the port openings?) and 10. This disposition of therelieved areas preserves the'same effect in respect to the wear of thevalve as if no openings were present therein at all, and the valve whenin use therefore exerts a pressure upon its seat, preserving a uniform,continuous oil film thereon, while the recesses themselves serve assmall supply pockets for oil.

The distribution of the relieved areas may be effected in variousmannersand varied practically indefinitely, but theyllshould bepreserved symmetrical to. the 'ai'us of thev valve, and lateral extent,should notexceedthe angle of the port openings as above described. Thedistribution will, of fcourse,

avoid the formation of a leak pathinianyfl position, and in the presentcase this is; pre

vented by the staggered arrangement shown.

The deposit of lubricant at upper part of r the valve will work readilyinto; the,

and; but very little lubricant is required since proximate to thewater-cooledpalve seat as above pointed out, and'practica tly no oil isburned while on the seat.

While I may use a speclal'oilj the valve, 1 have found inpracticejthatit is quite sufiicient under ordinary conditions to worksup the wall of the cylinder intq i the all of the surface exposed toflameis closely rely for lubrication simply on the oil that combustionchamber, which fact is fanindi;

cation of the permanency of the oil film in my new valve It is notpossible any" other form of rotary valve of which: I am aware to rely onso small a supply of lubricant.- The piston '7 may be lubricated by theThe interior pressure in the combustion chamber, from the explosion orcompression of-the charge, serves to keep the valve seated duringpart ofthe engine cycle, in; the intervals, a spring 18 keeps it seated withsufficient force to resist the counterpres'sure developed by the suctionstroke of the piston, being of course aided by the gravity of thespindle 3 and gear17 thereon. This non-positive means for seatinginsures the proper operation of the valve since it keeps the rotarymember in uniform thermal contact with its seat after; wear has takenplace, and prevents the development of looseness of the valve membersuch as would belikely to impair the oil film. The spring 18 thrustsagainst a. ring washer 19 below the valve seat" and upon a collar 20sets screwedto the valve shaft3, the spring and collar being ihclosedand protected by a screw cap 21'which is screwed to the engine structurefitting loosely on -the shaft 3.v

In Fig. 4 the tractrix "curvature: of the valve member 2 is'extendedbelowithe' valve;

seat and is partly surrounded by the screw cap just mentioned, but thisis merely foil the purpose of illustration of the said' curve in thepresent case and neednot be so formed f in practice. The lower part ofthe seatbelow the valve port serves also as a stufling box preventingescape of pressure at the point of drive and in orderthat the properseating of the valve shall not be disturbed by the driving connections,I make the spindle or shaft 3 relatively slender and several times thelength of the valve, so that it is flexible and thus able to accommodateitself to the position of the valve while in rotation, without impartinglateral pressure thereto which would disturb the uniformity of the oilfilm and hence interfere with the cooling effect. The shaft or spindle 3may be as thin consisten with the work it has to perform. As abovepointed out, the valve may operate in the lower wall of a lateralextension of the combustion space of the engine, the common location ofthe puppet valve in such engine, and like the puppet valve can heremoved vertically through the top hand-hole when the cover '23 has beenunscrewed. t may also be disposed in other relations to engine, eitheras exhaust or inlet or both, as shown in another application, and itwill be understood in general that the invention is not confined toembodiment in the specific form shown in these drawings, but thatvarious modifications, changes in proportions and arrangements-of parts,can be resorted to without departing from the principle of the inventionabove explained.

I claim:

1. The combination with the combustion chamber of an internal combustionengine. of a hollow, taper-curved, rotary valve-incinber having itslarger end exposed to the pressure in said chamber. and its smaller endconnected to be driven by the engine crankshaft. a valve-seat for suchvalve of correspondingly tapered form.the vertical section of themeeting surfzmcs of valve-men'iber and seat having greater curvature atthe larger end of the valve-member than at the smaller, and valve-portopenings through said tapercurved surfaces forming a passage through thelarger end of the valve member to or from the said combustion chamber.

2. The combination with the water-jacketed combustion chamber of aninternal combustion engine. of a tapencurved, rotary valve-member havingits larger end exposed to the pressure in said chamber, and its smallerend connected to be driven by the engine crank shaft, a valve seat for.such member formed on aw: ll of substantially uniform cross-secition,which is surrounded by the cooling medium of the engine waterjiaclcet.the longitudinal section of the seating surface of said valve and seathaving greater curvature at the larger end of the valve men'iber than atthe smaller, whereby an oil film between said member and seat ismaintained continuous and uniformly cooled. and port openings throughthe taper-curved surfaces of the seat and valve-member commun'catingthrolighihelatter with the combustioh chamber.

unneee A. The combination with the combustion chamber of an internalcombustion engine of a hollow, taper-curved valve-member connected to bedriven by the engine crank shaft and having its larger end and hollowinterior exposed to the combustion temperature in said. chamber, a valveseat for said member formed on a wall through which the heat of saidmember is abstracted, the longitudinal section of the meeting surfacesof memher and seat having'greater curvature at the larger end than atthe smaller, whereby a continuous oil film is maintained over theseating surfaces of said member and seat, port openings in said surfacesand a spring holding said member against its seat.

:l. The coml'iinatioi'i with the combustion The combination with thecombustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, of a taper-curved,rotary valve-member having its smaller end connected to be driven by theengine crankshaft and its larger end subjected to the pressure in saidchamber, a

valve-seat for such member incorporated in the water-jacketed structureof the engine and surrounded by the liquid therein throughout the wholeof its seating area, the meeting surfaces of said valve-member and seatconforming to the surface of generation of a tractrix revolved upon theaxis of'saidv valve member. whereby permanent thermal. contact 18'maintained between the member and its seat. 7

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combimition of a valve seat, arotary valvemen'iber therefor, the engaging surfaces of saidmember andseat conforming to the surface of generation of a tractrix revolvedabout its axis, port openings through the seat and the large end of thevalve member, and a driving spindle on the small end of the valvemember, said spindle being several times the length of said seat andconstituting a laterally flexible drivingmeans for the rotary member.

7. in an internal combustion engine;- the combination of a valve seatformed in the engine structure, and. a rotary valve-memben'the engagingsurfaces of valve-mem her and seat conforming to the surface of nerationof a tractrix revolved about its wear on said valve to axis, means forabstracting heat from said valve seat, non-positive means for urging themember upon the seat and registering port openings formed in the wall ofsaid ing through one side of said generated sur-- face, means forrotating the valve member on its seat and means for balancing theprevent its wearing askew to its axis.

9. The combination in a combustion engine of a rotary valve-member andvalveseat engaging each other in the surface of generation of a tractrixcurve and having port openings through such surface and the larger endof the valvemember, communieating with the combustion chamber of saidengine, the meeting surfaces of said valve and seat being provided withrelieved areas symmetrically disposed with reference to the axis thereofand adapted to preserve the wear symmetrical on all parts of the valvemember and seat, and engine-driven means which are self-accommodating tothe c axis of said valve, for driving the same,

10. The combination of a rotary valvemember and valve-seat engaging'eachother in the surface of generation of a tractrix curve and having portopenings through such surface and the larger end of the member, themeeting surfaces of said member and itsseat being provided with'relievedareas disposed-above and below the zone of the port openings.

11. The combination of an internal combustion engine having a lateralextension of its combustion chamber and a vertically curved valve seatformed in the wall of such extension, a rotary valve member engagingsuch seat, the curvature thereof conforming to the surface of generationof a tractrix revolved about the axis of said valve, port openingsthrough said seat and member and communicating through the larger end ofthe valve member with the said combustion chamber, an upright valveshaft connected with the smaller end of the valve member and driven bythe engine crank shaft, and a spring urging the valve member toward itssaid seat.

12. The, combination with the combustion chamber of an internalcombustion engine, of a taper-curved rotary valve member therefor, acooledsimilarly taper-curved valve seat for such member incorporated inthe engine structure and symmetrically sustaining the pressure of thevalve member thereon, the curvature of the seating surfaces of saidvalve member and seat being greatest near the larger end anddiminishing-toward the smaller end, means 7 whereby oil is supplied tosaid surfaces, registering port openings intersecting the said curvedsurfaces of said valve and seat, and means connected with the enginecrankshaft for driving said valve member in phase therewith.

13. The combination with the combustion chamber of an internalcombustion engine, of a rotary valve member therefor, a cooled seat forsuch member, means for supplying oil to the seat, the meeting surfacesof said member and seat being disposed in the surface of generation ofan equitangential tractrix revolved upon its axis, means for V holdlngthe sald valve member to its seat,

registering port openings in said member and seat intersecting the saidcurved sur- 7 faces thereof, and means for rotating the valve member inphase with the engine.

14, The combination in an internal'combustion engine, ofa rotarytaper-curved valve-member, a valve seat therefor, the longitudinalsection of the seating surfaces of said member and seat having greatestcurvature near the larger end of said valve member, diminishing to leastcurvature near the smaller end thereof, registering port openingsleading through said seating surfaces, and means for driving the valvemember, said means being self-accommodating to the axisof said memberand adapted to drive the same without disalinement thereof from saidaxis. 15. The combination in an internal combustion engine of a hollowrotary tapercurved valve member, the wall whereof is of substantiallyuniform thickness throughout the whole of that portion of said mem herwhich forms its seating surface, a simi-' specification in. the presenceof two witness'es.

- JOHN GOOD. Witnesses:

G. A. TAYLOR, K. L. GRANT.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this-

